


Ghosts of The Desert

by LemonWicky



Category: X-Men, X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Cross Posted from FF.net, Demonic Possession, Extreme Hate for Warren because he is a stuck up asshole IMO, Gen, Gross Demonization of several characters, M/M, My First AO3 Post, One-Sided Attraction, Please be gentle, Post Trial/Antarctica suffering, Romance, Suspense, That eventually becomes mutual
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-23
Updated: 2014-02-28
Packaged: 2018-01-13 13:48:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1228723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LemonWicky/pseuds/LemonWicky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Remy comes back from Antarctica, he expected open arms and apologies. What he got was the cold shoulder and intense hatred from nearly everyone. Logan steps up to help the boy deal with his teammates' uncharacteristic abuse. But when Scott and Jean can't deal with them anymore, they send the two off to investigate an old mining town in Nevada.</p><p>What waits for them there, however, can destroy both of them, and while Remy is still recovering from the Trial, Logan is dealing with his own inner turmoil: namely, trying to sort through his attraction of the thief. Can they face what is in their hearts and defeat the darkness, or will they succumb to the evil of the ghosts of the desert?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

A long, lonely road with only the sky and wind as its usual companions somewhere in the forgotten American West leads to a true Ghost Town.

Avarice, Nevada was once a quaint mining town called Charity. The people there were hard-working, God-fearing folk that wouldn't harm a soul. There was a school, a church, a market store, and enough houses for a total population of about one hundred people. It was the perfect place for just about anyone in 1890.

That is, until he came. Nobody knew who this stranger was, but he only passed through, not stopping to talk or to get supplies or to rest, on a large black horse. Anyone who looked at the warhorse closely enough would swear on their mother’s grave and their own that to look in the stallion’s eyes was to look into the very depths of Hell.

The sheriff, a large, muscular but fairly young man by the name of Marcus Art stood outside the school, the kids inside hidden inside until the danger passed.

Because, yes…this man was dangerous. He produced a killing aura so profound that no one dared to walk the same road he did. Reaching the outskirts of the town, he stopped and looked at Marcus. Their gazes locked and a foul, evil wind picked up the dust, swirling around the two men. When the dust settled, he was gone. 

And so was Marcus.

Soon after that, Charity turned to Avarice. Without Marcus there to protect the citizens and enforce the law, a number of lowlifes and riff-raffs, of thieves and bandits, of gamblers and prostitutes descended on the town like vultures on a dead corpse. What was once a good, respectable village turned into a haven of Hell’s deviants. The newly dubbed Avarice burned in its own sins, first the people of Charity either died off or moved and then the hellions slowly slithered away, like shadows retreating from the sun, in search of their next victims.  
But the Ghosts of the Desert will always remain, waiting to ensnare anyone who comes too close and devour them in the darkness.


	2. Welcome to Avarice, Nevada

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remy and Logan arrive at their destination. But an evil haunts the shadows. And it has it's sights set on Remy

Remy hated the desert. Really, he did. Taking a boy from the wetlands and the bayous of Louisiana, dropping him in the middle of a Nevadan desert, and expecting him to survive?

‘ _Dey be tryin’ ta kill dis po’ boy_.’  He thought sullenly. ‘ _T’ough,_ ’ He thought, looking over to his companion. ‘ _Remy t’inks dis be a mighty big difference from de Canadian Wilderness. Po’ Wolvie_.’ The rough feral seemed indifferent from the dry heat of the desert. But Remy knew that it was getting to him, if the sweat stains on his wife beater was anything to go by. Ew.

He didn’t allow himself to feel too bad, however. The reason they were in this mess in the first place was Logan not keeping his big mouth shut.

~~Flashback~~

_“This is the absolute LAST TIME I ever leave Remy home alone again!” Shouted a furious Jean, death glaring at the Cajun. The gang had just returned from Harry’s in celebration of the end of the school year. It was suppose to be a chance for team bonding among the X-Men._

_The team, however, did not include Remy. Storm and Hank-ever his supporters since he got back from_ there _\- had protested about leaving him behind. But Scott had insisted that Remy needed to be alone, wanting his solitude even, without ever telling the thief that they were going anywhere. Once they got back, Jean made the rather embarrassing confession that in all the rush to go, she had forgotten to get the necklace Scott had given her for her birthday. It was on a solid gold chain dotted with diamonds and pearls. At the end of it was a garnet heart, outlined in silver. It was beautiful, and quite valuable too._

_The team was just settling down in the lounge when Remy came into the room. A quick ‘Allo’ was muttered before rushing to the kitchen. The walk was followed by hatful looks and mistrustful eyes. But just as he reached the door leading to the pantry, Jean’s anguished scream rang throughout the entire mansion. Everybody jumped and got into a battle position while said redhead came running into the room full of startled people._

_“It’s gone! IT’S GONE!!!” She shouted._

_“What’s gone, Jean?” Scott asked, putting his hands on her shoulders, trying to get his wife to calm down._

_“My necklace! I went upstairs to go get it and show it to Rouge, but it’s not in my jewelry box, drawer, or laying on my table!” She put her head in her hands. Her words were slightly muffled when she said, “I don’t what could’ve happened! Unless it was--” Jean paused. She slowly lifted her head up to stare at Scott, green eyes wide as saucers. She spun around on her heel and death glared at Remy, who stiffened at the murderous aura surrounding her._

_“YOU!!” She stomped towards the young man, who recoiled from her rage. “Where is my necklace, you lowlife!?” She screamed in his face._

_Remy was silent for a moment, obviously stunned. But then he put on a charming-if somewhat wavering-smile. “Aha, mon-mon cherie. Remy do not know where de roux’s necklace is. Dis t’ief ‘as been in ‘is room all night.” He put up his hands in surrender._

_What Jean did next was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Or forced the wolverine’s claws._

_Logan was for Remy, even with his past mistakes. On one hand, what he did was horrible. But on the other, he was a young cocky kid who had bitten off more than he could chew. He was just one of the many heroes to be manipulated by a villain. He didn’t like how most of the X-Men talked about him-a teammate-but he thought Remy could handle himself. The kid was tough, he had to admit._

_But when Jean slapped him hard, followed by the applause and cheers of Remy’s haters and tormentors, the gasps of Storm and Hank, and Jean’s outraged cry of “You filthy, lying thief! How dare you!”, the feral decided to step in._

_“Hey!” He snarled, standing from his place in the corner chair. He walked over to the telepath and stepped between her and the shocked mutant, who was holding his quickly reddening cheek. “Listen, darlin’, jus’ cause ya can’t find yer purty piece of rock doesn’t mean ya can go ‘round accusing people of takin’ it and hittin’ ‘em when ya don’t like it when they deny it.”_

_Jean glared at him, green eyes aflame and crossed her arms over her chest. “Logan,” her voiced trembled with controlled anger. “We know that he was here alone for enough time for him to steal it. We know that he could pick mine and Scott’s bedroom lock, steal my necklace, and hide it anywhere within the mansion!”_

_It then that Rouge, of all people, decided to pipe in. “Logan, Ah don’t why you’re tryin’ ta stand up for that thief.” She spat in Remy’s direction, causing the young male to shrink away behind Logan. “We all know he’s lyin’; you should be all over him, sugah. Why don’t you beat it outta him? Where the necklace is?” She sauntered up beside Bobby, rubbing her chest on his arm. With Remy looking on in misery, Bobby threw his arm around his girlfriend, shooting Remy a nasty looking sneer._

_Logan huffed at the gesture, but did nor say anything about it. Instead, he turned to look at the thief cowering behind him. Raising an eyebrow, Logan began interrogating him. “Didja take the necklace, kid?”_

_“Non.” Was the instant reply._

_“Didja stay in yer room like ya said ya did?”_

_“Qui.”_

_“Are ya lyin’?” Logan narrowed his eyes, not so much intimidating Remy as pleading with him to be honest._

_Remy shook his head with fervor. “Non. Remy was a good Cajun on dis night, homme.” This statement was met with snorts of disbelief._

_He matched Logan’s stare, steel blue matching red on black._

_Finally, Logan sighed and looked back to the rest of the X-Men. “He’s not lyin’. I can smell as much. And ‘sides that,” He gave a pointed look at Jean and Scott. “If he was in yer room, I’d smell yer perfume and cologne on him; what with you two dumpin’ it on yer selves all the damn time. Makes my nose itch and burn.” He rubbed at his nose to emphasize his point, ignoring Scott and Jean’s red faces._

_Remy couldn’t help but let out a small giggle at their faces, but stopped dead when Jean gave him a downright EVIL look. One that said he would pay. She huffed and said nothing as she stomped up to her room, Scott right on her heels._

_With the mood soured, many went upstairs to their rooms, stopping to give Logan and Remy looks similar to Jean’s. Once everyone was out of the room, only Hank, Storm, Logan and Remy were left. Ororo was the first one to say, “Thank you, Logan. Everyone has been so cruel to my brother. Thank you for standing up for him.” She wanted to give him a hug but something stopped her. The way Logan stood in front of her brother, and the way Remy was standing behind Logan, reminded her very much of an animal protecting his injured mate. Even if he was among friends now, Logan was still wary of anyone who got too close. So instead, she gave them a friendly nod, as well as Hank. The gentle giant followed behind the dark-skinned woman as they made their leave._

_It was then that Logan and Remy were alone. Logan sighed, long and all-suffering as he walked to the couch and plopped down on it, like he couldn’t support his own weight. Remy debated on whether or not to flee to the boathouse. In the end, his need to thank and apologize to Logan won out and he tip-toed towards the burly man, easing his way on the couch. The two sat in silence for a while. Logan pulled out a cigar, bit the end off, spat it somewhere, and lit it. He took a long drag; the slight purple tint and the thick smell made Remy want a cigarette like crazy._

_“Ya know, Cajun,” The feral’s deep voice made said Cajun jump. “Yer almost trouble than yer worth.”_

_Out of the corner of his eye, Logan saw the kid’s eyes widen in shame then look away, fringe covering his eyes. The kid curled in on himself, pulling his knees close to his chest and wrapping his long arms around his legs. He could smell more than see the tears starting in his eyes. He blew smoke out of his nose as he scooted closer to the ball of self hate and loathing that Remy had become. Awkwardly, he put his arm around the crying kid’s shoulders. Remy’s head snapped up so fast, both were surprised he didn’t get whiplash. With the look in those-some would call demonic and terrifying, Logan called exotic and beautiful-red on black eyes, Logan felt like he was offering a starving kid food and shelter and home and love with the simple act of kindness. He smiled a little and chuckled._

_“But somebody hasta take care of ya. Stormy and Hank can’t ‘cause One-Eye and Red’ll causin’ em problems. Way I see it,” He stood up and stretched, hearing the satisfying cracks and pops of various bones realigning themselves back into place. Once he felt some of the fatigue leave his body, he turned back to Remy, who was staring at him with those abused and abandoned puppy eyes._

_“I’m the only one not afraid of ‘em to keep ya outta harm’s way.” They both knew what he meant by that. Logan stretched his hand out to Remy. “I’m the only one willin’ ta lend ya a hand. Ya know,” He winked. “If yer willin’ ta take it.”_

~~End Flashback~~

And Remy had been willing. He had taken Logan’s hand that night and ever since, the two had been joined at the hip.

Storm made numerous comments about how the beast inside of Logan had seen Remy as something to protect and nurture to an amused Hank, who saw the interaction between the two as both charming and sweet to watch. But when Logan had offered Remy a person to share his troubles and strife, he also had to share enemies.

Warren, Bobby, and Rouge gave him shit all the time, from not following his lead- _when_ his was the leader-in the Danger Room, to rude and suggestive remarks about the relationship between him and Remy.

“Oh man,” Warren said one time. The four of them was sitting in the kitchen, with Logan reading the newspaper. “I wish I could laid.” He and Bobby shared a mean, knowing look. “Hey, Logan.” The man lowered his paper to look at the smirking mutant with a bored look. “Know where I can find a slut so I can get some?”

Bobby and Rouge were snickering like immature fifth graders at a stupid joke. Logan’s expression didn’t change as he folded his paper and grabbed his cup of coffee. “Yeah,” He said as walked outside to the yard, where Storm and Remy were chatting. “But I don’t think Bobby’s willin’ ta share.” He didn’t turn around to look at their faces, but he couldn’t help to stop the Cheshire Cat grin that split his face at the sound of embarrassed stuttering.

From there, it only got worse. It all came to a head after Logan nearly slashed Warren to shreds after Remy had run to him almost in tears. Warren had said something about how Remy was a horrible person for using his charm to trick Logan into caring for him. “Otherwise,” He sneered. “We all know that he wouldn’t even look at you, you dirty, thieving slut!” That remark got him six claw marks dangerously close to his wings, several broken bones and a two month stay in the infirmary.

Finally, Scott and Jean had had enough. They sent Logan and Remy to investigate a possible mutant sighting in Nevada, which is where they were heading to now. The long, dusty way to the desert town was almost over as both men on the bikes could see a little blip in the distance. Sooner than they both thought, they stopped their bikes and took off their helmets to gaze at the sorry state of the once proud place. Both kicked their kickstands down, and while Logan walked a few yards away to look around, Remy stayed next to his bike and did a quick visual sweep.

Avarice, Nevada was like one of those old Ghost Town places you normally see in old western movies. Every building looked about a hundred years old and one tiny breeze shy of caving in. Gray, molted sheets blew in the wind, and Remy had to stop himself from busting out laughing when a tumbleweed rolled past them. He felt like he should be wearing a cowboy hat.

All joking aside, there was a definite creepy feel about the whole place, Remy had to admit. The shadows cast by the red, setting sun over the old and decrepit buildings seemed to move, like they had a mind of their own. They almost seemed to be reaching out for him. The thief groaned and closed his eyes, thinking that the sun glasses he wore were doing crap in the intense heat and sun. He mentally berated himself; an old, spooky town and suddenly he was a pup again, afraid of shadows. It was the middle of the desert-of course the shadows would look weird. But when he opened his eyes again, he sucked in a breath.

In the distance was a silhouette of a man. It was black and like smoke, shimmering and shifting, not quite human looking. But what scared Remy was its eyes. They were red, like burning coals, and _evil_ , almost like looking into the fiery depths of Hell. The thing was looking past his skin, past his flesh and bones, looking deep into his soul, gazing at all the broken pieces and shattered shards of what was once a proud, unshakeable man, to see the frightened, abused little boy, huddling and shivering behind the mask, afraid of the world and everything in it. It stared at the true Remy LeBeau and…it smiled. Then black.

“Cajun?” A deep voice. It cut through the foggy darkness, but not by much.

“Cajun?!” There it was again. A little sliver of light stood out like a beacon in the dark. Was it the voice? 

“Remy!?” His name. How did it know his name?

“Aw shit! Remy! C’mon, wake up!” Something was shaking him. The fog was parting, a veil-a curtain parting to let the light blind him.

“REMY!!”

Remy’s eyes snapped opened with a shuttering gasp as sweet air filled his lungs. His body felt like it was on fire and he grabbed the first thing he could-Logan. Arms circling the older man’s neck and waist, he held on with an iron grip, not wanting to let go of his source of comfort.

Logan held on just as hard, his own arms holding the almost sobbing boy close to his chest. He had only turned his back to Remy for a moment when he heard a thud. Glancing nonchalantly over his shoulder, his blood ran cold when he saw Remy lying on the ground, not breathing. He rushed over to the other’s side and nearly had a heart attack when he didn’t respond. He breathed a relieved sigh when Remy came to. He was rocking back and forth, like a mother calming her child. Logan whispered soothing words into Remy’s ear and finally the boy loosened his hold so he could look at the other man.

Logan gently smiled and asked, “Are ya okay?”

Remy’s eyes were shiny, but no tears had actually fallen yet. “ _Qui_ , Remy’s fine.” He said in a small, shuddering voice.

Logan nodded and helped the kid to his feet. Remy started to sway and Logan put an arm around his shoulder and his waist to steady him. “Whoa there, kid.” A few tense moments of silence passed while the feral waited for the thief to get his balance. “Ya sure yer okay, Remy?” He asked worriedly.  

When Logan had put his arms on him, Remy automatically laid his head on the older man’s chest, breathing hard and ragged. There was an annoying ringing in his ear, so he didn’t reply to Logan’s question for a minute. But when the words finally registered, Remy debated with himself.

Should he tell Logan about the man? Should he tell what he thought caused him to black out? Was it even real or did the heat and sun of the desert get to him?

‘ _That’s bullshit, monsieur LeBeau, and you know it!_ ’ A tiny voice in the back of his sub-conscious screamed at him. ‘ _Tell him about what you saw! Tell him or something bad will happen!_ ’

“ _Qui, mon ami_. De sun and heat jus’ got to dis po’ Cajun boy.” He smiled disarmingly and pushed away from Logan to prove his point. “See? Remy jus’ need to lay down for awhile.”

Logan wasn’t convinced, but he knew that if he pushed the kid too hard, he would go back into his shell, and if he wanted to say what he _needed_ to tell the Cajun, Remy would have to trust him completely. So he said, “Alright. I think you might be right there, kid.” He looked to the west where the sun was already half behind the horizon line. “We should see if there are any houses that ain’t gonna fall down in the wrong wind.”

He walked over to his bike and put up the kickstand and wheeled it over to the row of houses that looked the least decrepit. Remy sighed and did the same.

But he stopped. He could feel his skin crawl with the sensation of someone _watching_ him. He turned around, and saw nothing but the same shadows as before. He shuddered with something akin to fear and rushed to catch up with Logan-his only source of comfort and safety for the last few weeks.

‘ _I t’ink there’s somet’ing more to dis town than we t’ink._ ’ He thought ominously when he was side by side with the feral. He glanced over to him worryingly. ‘ _Let’s hope that whatever it is…we can get outta here_ alive.’

~~*~~

He watched the two men from a distance.

The older was dangerous and would be difficult. But the younger was _so weak_. His soul was a shattered mess, like broken glass. It would almost amusingly _easy_ for him.

He also had an obvious weakness…among his others; this one would be a powerful tool against him.

He watched in fascination as the younger sensed his presence and then scurry to the older like a whore to her john. _Yes_ , he thought as he stepped back into his shadows. _This will be most fun._

The sun slipped entirely out of sight as the tainted darkness of the once pure night completely took over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the first part of the whole story. Thank you to the person who commented. Like, comment and subscribe!  
> …  
> Oh wait, this isn't Youtube.


	3. Darkness Falls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was all going so well, then it wasn't. Logan pushes Remy away to protect him, while actually hurting him in the process. Meanwhile, the evil in the shadow strikes.

**Squeak. Squeak. Thump.**

‘ _Jus’ ignore it._ ’

**Squeak. Thump. Thump. Squeak.**

‘ _C’mon, Logan. Jus’ ignore ‘im. He don’t want no mother hen._ ’

**Squeak Squeak Squeak Thump Thump Squeak!**

‘ _He ain’t gonna do it. Nope, he won’t. He’s smarter and quicker than-_ ’

**CRASH-THUD-BONK-THUMP!** “OW!! _Fils de pute_!!”

Logan looked up to the ceiling and sent a silent ‘ _Why me?_ ’ to whatever Pantheon of Gods liked him best. Or worst. Whichever one applied at the moment.

He slowly turned around from where he was sitting on the cot to look at his less than mature partner to see-because he should have _known_ he would get into something-that the thief was laying comically on his back with a nasty looking gray tarp and several plywood boards on him with barrels and crates all around him. It would be freaking hilarious if it wasn’t so sad.

After Remy’s episode outside an hour and a half ago, Logan had found a building that looked sturdy enough that it wouldn’t fall down in their sleep. It appeared to be some sort of hospital, with many cots lining the wall and barrels and crates full of perfectly good medical supplies. They were stacked neatly-though a bit precariously- in one corner.

And it was among these barrels and crates that Remy had decided to poke around. When Logan warned the thief not to climb on or touch the crates-“They’re like the rest of this place; old, dusty and liable ta fall down in the wrong wind”- he simply faced the feral, and with as much sass, spunk, and looking so much like Remy _before_ Antarctica, said, “ _Monsieur loup-garou_ , iffen y’ wanna mot’er hen some po’ _homme_ , den why don’ y’ go do it t’ someone else, yeah?”  Then spun on his heel with a huff and went back to what he was doing.

Logan just gaped at him. ‘ _What. The hell. Was THAT!?_ ’ Was all that went through his mind at the little display. He shook his head, shrugged his shoulders, and turned his back to the kid. ‘ _I didn’t just get a hard-on. I didn’t just get a hard-on. I didn’t just get a hard-on. I didn’t just-yep, sonuvabitch, I did. Damnit!!_ ’

Now he was towering over Remy with a stern expression. Remy had numbered and named each of Logan scowls; the current one was a mix between Scowl#5 and Scowl#17-‘You’re an idiot, why didn’t you listen to me’ and “You are SO immature’.  The newly numbered Scowl#44 made Remy grin shyly, and he asked, “Would y’ mind helpin’ dis po’ Cajun, _mon ami_?”

He had also had taken to naming and numbering Logan’s grins, smiles and smirks-though those were far less in quantity-and the one that split his face then was another mix, this time it was Smile#3 and Smirk#4; ‘Well aren’t you just precious’ and ‘You’re really think I’m NOT gonna pick on you?’.

Hello, EvilGrin#9.

“Iffen y’ want some _homme_ t’ mot’er hen y’, why don’ y’ ask someone else, yeah?” The reply was a perfectly evil parody of Remy’s earlier attitude and he pouted at the words. Logan just laughed and kicked off some of the boards and sliced the tarp. Helping the kid to his feet, Logan’s face softened with Smile#2-‘You’re so cute, I’m sorry’-as he scolded, “How ‘bout ya listen ta yer elders next time, Cajun? Save ya a whole lotta grief.”

The pout was still there, but Remy’s red-black eyes lost some of their ire. “ _Qui_ ,” He said. Then, with the mischievous glint of old taking the place of that ire, he continued, “Dis Cajun will be listenin’ ta whatever y’ say, oh great, wise, _old_ man.”

That little remark got him a playful cuff to the back of the head and a snort of amusement. “Better watch, Cajun. I’m really gonna whack you one one of these days.” Logan went back to his spot and sat down with a thump.

Remy sat down on the cot next to Logan’s with more poise than his feral companion and asked seriously, “What are we doin’ here, _mon cher_? All Remy knows is dat dere be a mutant causin’ trouble.” He took off his duster and set behind him after taking a pack of cigarettes out of the pocket. He lit the end of it with a charge and closing his eyes in rapture, took a long drag off it; almost burning half of it. Smoke came out of his mouth along with a self-satisfied sigh. He opened his eyes to see Logan looking at him with a cigar in his mouth and a pointed look. Taking the hint, Remy concentrated on the end and, with a small pop, the cigar started to burn, thick, purple tinted smoke drifted lazily up into the air before disappearing.

“I don’t know, Cajun.” Logan’s voice startled him, deep and loud after the silence had taking over while they lit their shared cancer sticks. “All I know is that there’s been some weird disappearances and other shit goin’ on ‘round here. The locals say this place in cursed or whatever; anyone who comes in here doesn’t come back out. Don’t know if it’s a mutant or not, but it’s worth checking up on.” He quickly finished his cigar and laid down, arms tucked under his head; the flimsy metal ‘bed’ groaning dangerously under his weight. He scowled. Number Ten to be exact-‘This thing is a piece of shit, why(what) am I working(doing) with it.’

Remy smiled in amusement. With his own finished cigarette, he charged it and flicked it up in the air, where it exploded with a ‘pop’. “Now, _cher_ ,” He started. “Y’ know and Remy know dat dis is prob’ly a way ta get us outta the house. Dere isn’t a mutant here; de locals whisper ghost stories bout dese kinda places all de time.” He got up, picked up his pack from beside the doorway, laid back down and used as a pillow as he used his duster as a blanket. “Some tourists jus’ got lost in de desert near here and no one found de bodies. De locals say dis place is haunted ta make sure de money and business doesn’t kill dem-selves when dey go romping ‘round here.” He chuckled.

Logan frowned, but just as he opened his mouth, the cot creaked and finally gave way, the rusted metal legs flying as it broke. Logan went down with a startled shout and landed with a hard ‘thump’.

Dust blew up everywhere, and Remy shot out of bed and flew to the feral’s side. “ _Mon Dieu_ , Logan! Are you okay, _mon ami_?” He asked, breathless with worry. He kneeled down next to him, running his hands everywhere on the non-responsive man’s body. A few more minutes of tense silence before a cough and a moan of pain had Remy sighing with relief.

Logan had had worse things happen to him, but it was a bit embarrassing when you’re too fat to even freaking lay down somewhere without breaking. That was freaking bullshit.

“Oh, _mon ami_. You are not _gros_. You are simply muscle-y and metal, _non_?” Remy said with a fond smile and a warmth in his eyes that Logan found himself transfixed with.

Wait.

Oh shit.         

What he said in his head he said out loud.

Well, hello insecurities! Have you met your reason? Why, he’s standing right in front of you!

Fuck Remy and his tall, lanky, _molest-able_ body and fuck his bright, exotically beautiful eyes and fuck his honey sweet, bourbon smooth voice with that sexy as hell drawl and wow, Logan better stop using ‘fuck’ while thinking about Remy or that’s just what he might do.

“Logan?” Remy asked, concerned. The older man had zoned out and Remy could see and feel his emotions. He felt shame and anger most, but he thought something akin to lust was in there too, but it had been so fleeting, Remy thought he was getting his hopes too high and imaging things.

At the aforementioned voice saying his name, Logan shook out of his mental rant and none too gently pushed Remy off of him and stood up, brushing debris off him.

He had started thinking, which is never a good thing-but he had. Logan’s brain started to nit-pick all of his flaws and imperfections and compare them to Remy’s.

He wasn’t as young as Remy.

He was as handsome as Remy.

He wasn’t as social as Remy.

He didn’t have the same tastes as Remy.

He wasn’t _good enough_ for Remy.

Why he had EVER thought that he would have a chance with the kid was beyond him and it made him mad.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and spun around to see Remy looking at him weird. He snapped his hand back and clutched close to his chest like he had been burned. The profound hurt on his face was enough to Logan that he had been projecting his anger out and that Remy thought it was directed at him. It kind of was, but not in a bad way.

Logan turned his head in shame and gruffly said, “I’m gonna go outside.” Without another word or look to Remy, he stomped out towards the exit and with no door to open or slam shut, he turned the corner and was gone from sight.

Remy stood there dumbfounded and ready to cry for the second time in about two hours.

Things after the episode had been going _so_ well. Being near Logan made him feel so good about himself and so alive that it almost hurt. The joking, the teasing, the banter; it was nice to have someone to _not_ hate him. To have someone actually _care_ enough to want to be with him. To just _be_ with.

But it seems that, as usual, he fucked it up. He fucked up the only good thing that had happened to him after he came home since Storm and Hank forgiving him.

Remy numbly laid back down, and squeeze himself into the smallest ball he can, and cover his face with his duster.

He tried to think back to when everything had gone wrong and what he did. Because it was always something _he_ did. _He_ was always the one who messed everything up, the one who managed to mess up every relationship with everyone he had.

His father.

Old Crow.

The X-Men.

And now, _Logan_.

Remy felt tears come to his eyes and as he cried himself to sleep, he plagued himself with one question: _How will he be able to fix this_?

~~/*\~~

He watched the scene unfold from the shadows. He smiled at the older’s feelings of love and lust for the younger and how disgusted he was, thinking himself unworthy of the younger.

And he was positively _giddy_ as he watched the younger hate and torture his very being for his imagined slights against the older.

_Hmmm…is better than I thought._

The younger was, unknowingly, weakening his soul. And once he slipped into sleep, the younger would be vulnerable.

He would slip into his mind, body, and soul and then…oh, and _then_ , the real fun would begin.

~~/*\~~

_Remy was running. His breaths came in hard, harsh pants as he ran. From what he did not know; all he knew it was evil._

_Against his better judgment, he looked behind him and his blood ran cold._

_It was the shadow from before, black and endless. It wanted him._

_It wanted his very soul._

_Remy tripped and fell face first. He scrambled to get back up, but the shadow grabbed his leg and pulled him towards it._

_Remy was screaming now, screaming for his friend, his protector. His savior._

_Logan!_

_Logan!!_

_Logan!!_

“LOGAN!!!”

Logan had been checking his bike, seeing where the sand and dirt was. He had another cigar-his third since he went outside-when Remy’s petrified scream rang out across the town, like slap to the face-sudden, unexpected and his blood froze in his veins.

Taking no heed of any danger, he spat out his cigar, drew out his claws, and bolted to the hospital all in the same heartbeat.

“Remy!!?” He yelled, panicked and when he rounded the corner and looked into the room, he stopped dead in horror.

Remy was on his cot, thrashing and screaming his name. But that wasn’t the scary part. Something black and formless was settled around the obviously terrified boy. It was like a shadow and it was completely unnatural.

Gathering his wits, Logan snarled and the Wolverine was so close to the surface, his steel blue eyes were rimmed in an amber-gold.

The animal in him was practically frothing in rage, roaring ‘ _It is attacking mate; it is **harming** mate!! Attack it! Kill it!!_’

And Logan listened to the simplistic, primal orders of the Wolverine and rushed the shadow, claws thrust forward, ready to slice the thing to shreds. But when he reached it, where he should’ve sliced through blackness, he sliced through thin air.

The shadow was gone.

And so was Remy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...again. Thank you to the person who commented. I'm terrible with names, but nonetheless, thank you.
> 
> Also-wouldn't it be such a bitch move if I ended it here so you guys would go to FF.Net to read the rest? Wouldn't it?


	4. Hope Lost and Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hour of darkness is at hand. The evil finally reveals itself and all hope is lost. But there comes a surprise savior and the hope is found.

_But when he reached it, where he should’ve sliced through blackness, he sliced through thin air._

_The shadow was gone._

_And so was Remy._

Logan’s mind was reeling. The shadow that was attacking Remy had vanished the split second before his claws swiped it, and it had taken Remy with it. It was like Remy had never been there in the first place. His scent-a spicy, earthy mixed with cloves and sex-was gone.

He dropped to his knees in shock as he still tried to process the fact that Remy was gone.

Remy, whose smile lit up the room and made his heart pound.

Remy, whose laugh could brighten up even the worst of his days.

Remy, whose cocky, self-assured attitude made Logan think of himself when he was younger.

Remy, whose scent _alone_ filled his body with lust and longing.

Remy, the kid who somehow managed to get the most cynical, crotchety, butchest, backwoods feral to fall in love with him.

“REMY!!!” Logan shouted to the ceiling, all his anger, frustration and grief rolled into one in that name.

A hissing sound behind him caused Logan to whirl around to face whatever dares to interrupt his time of mourning.

It was the shadow from before, black and formless, and it appeared to be… _laughing_ at the older man.

A growl, low and dangerous, escaped Logan’s-the Wolverine’s-throat. It lunged at the shadow, metal claws gleaming in the pale moonlight that shone through a hole in the roof.

The shadow dodged and sped away, a dark blur in the night. The Wolverine chased after it, all the raw rage of a wild animal that just lost its mate.

Faster and faster the chase went, until they reached the town’s center. The shadow turned a corner and the Wolverine followed, ready to rip anything to pieces, namely the shadow.

But when it turned the corner, the shadow was gone. The Wolverine skidded to a stop, and looked around, senses working overtime trying to find its prey. He walked slowly, intently, eyes scanning the area, ears listening for the smallest of sounds and nose scenting for the faintest of smells.

Between one step and the next, immeasurable pain racked through the hunter, his agonized screams echoing across the dead silence of the desert. It felt like millions of individual lightning bolts stabbed at every nerve in his body, at every bone, at every organ.

Logan dropped to his knees, barely holding on to consciousness. His vision was blackened around the edges and littered with white spots, and the ringing in his ears made it impossible for almost any sound to get past it.

Almost anything, for the dazed mutant heard the ominous thuds of footsteps, walking straight to him from the front. Little by little, the steps came towards him as his body furiously started to repair itself. Just as the steps stopped right in front of him was Logan’s body able to move without pain, though he was still paralyzed in the fact that he could move nothing more than his head and neck. His eyes climbed the length of the stranger’s body, noting the Old West Cowboy style of attire. But when Logan looked at the man’s face, he was startled to see that there was no face.

Glowing red eyes and a deep blackness shrouded any facial features that might’ve have been there. The… _thing_ …smiled, a white, wicked contrast to the rest of it, accented with sharp teeth.

It was laughing, the same hissing sound, and Logan realized that the creature looming over him was the shadow he had been chasing.

‘ _The shadow harming mate! The same!_ ’ The Wolverine howled inside of him, and a golden rim formed around steel blue eyes as the animalistic rage welled up strong within him again. But both man and beast fought to control it. For now.

 _“You are strong, elder.”_ The shadow figure hissed, its voice a crude, cruel parody of a thousand angry snakes. _“But even the strong have weaknesses. I have yours, elder.”_ Its head turned to the right, the sadistic smirk growing wider to inhuman lengths.

Logan followed its gaze. If he had the power to, he would’ve sobbed as ten million emotions raced through his blood; namely joy, sorrow, and rage.

The town center was cut off by two roads, each crossing the other to make a crossroads. And in the center of the crossroads was…

‘ _Dear God, Remy. What is this monster doing to you!?_ ’

The boy was _writhing_ in obvious agony, pained whimpers coming from him. His clothes were ripped and blood-stained and ebony chains _coming from the ground itself_ was wrapped around his wrists and ankles. The boy was laying spread eagle in a pentagram within a circle, demonic light glowing outwards from it.

Logan growled and snapped his head to glare at the shadow figure. “WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO HIM!!?!!” He shouted.

The creature of darkness merely glanced at him as if he were nothing more than a speck of dust.

 _“This younger is most interesting.”_ It hissed casually. _“Many dark thoughts and emotions, but also positive ones locked deep in his heart. But locked too tight. Not even he could break the chains on his heart. Too much hurt and sadness and betrayal. Makes for perfect victim.”_ The cryptic words of the evil thing both terrified and intrigued Logan.

It laughed at Logan’s confusion.

 _“Long ago,”_ It began.

_“I was most loyal to my master. My master was kind to his people, but not to me. Many beatings and whippings were received. I was still loyal to my master. He brought many men and women to his bed, and I grew jealous and angry when he took them in front of me. One night, he had a whole harem full of beautiful nobles and peasants of both sex. I killed them all.”_

It had a tone of pride and sick joy when it said that last part. Logan wanted to stop listening, wanted to so badly, but he forced himself to listen, hopeful to learn something useful that will help him save at least Remy.

_“My master was infuriated and killed me. I spent many years in Hell learning many dark spells and rituals. When I was joined by my master, I used a dark binding ritual to infuse our souls. I can feel my master inside of me, forever with me. But I need souls full of negative emotions and thoughts, male or female, good or evil, to keep him with me.”_

It turned to fully look at Logan, its sinister aura choking the feral.

_“Your younger is most powerful yet. He is the soul that will keep my master with me forever more. I will leave this place and spread my darkness and shadows everywhere.”_

It leaned right in Logan’s face, the hellish heat of his eyes burning the very essence in him.

_“After the younger, I will consume you, elder, and you both shall be nothing more than my pets.”_

A wall of shadow shot up behind it, moving like a living thing, and Logan shook in comprehension; those were the poor people whose souls had been devoured by the demon.

He fought the spell that kept him bound and immobile as the creature stalked towards Remy. With every step the demon took, the louder Remy cried out.

Logan could do nothing, and he knew that when Remy died, he would die not knowing just how much Logan loved him. He lifted his head to the sky.

“Please.” He begged, to any and every deity and god that would listen. “Please. Save him. I don’t care about me; just save him. Please.” His head drooped towards the ground. “I need him.” He sobbed.

All was lost.

The creature started to chant.

The light of the circle started to glow brighter.

Remy started to scream louder as the chanting got more intense.

Logan screwed his eyes shut, shameful in the knowledge that he could do nothing to save his love, much less himself.

But as the ritual was almost complete, the glow at its brightest, there was a sudden but subtle noise. It drifted through the town, like the breeze, and everything stopped.

The demon looked around in confusion as it tried to pinpoint _what_ the noise was and _where_ it was coming from.

But Logan knew. Logan knew exactly what it was. He looked to the east and mentally wept with joy. The demon followed his stare and shrieked.

Because in the distance, coming fast, was a motorcycle cloaked in heavenly blue blaze that was quickly turning to devilish red.

 _“NO!”_ The creature howled, the ritual interrupted and the glow gone. The spell on Logan was also disappeared and he rushed over to Remy.

The chains were gone and the Cajun’s wrists and ankles were raw and bleeding from where they had been. But he was alive and otherwise unharmed.

After his inspection, Logan looked up as tires screeched to a stop. The rider of the Hell Bike kicked the kick stand down and got off the living metal.

Logan smirked at the new arrival. “Took ya, damn long enough, huh, Blaze?”

“Or should I say-”

_“GHOST RIDER!!!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating. Got tied up in some things but the next two will come quick I swear


	5. The Wolverine's Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They may have been saved by the Ghost Rider, but Remy is fighting the darkness in his heart. The shadows of his past plus the demon's influence is tough and he nearly gives up. But can Logan finally tell Remy the truth and save him? Or is he lost forevermore?

The tall, skeletal Spirit of Vengeance stared at the scene before him. The demon was backing away and the man-animal who knew his human half was protectively holding another man.

This man had the soul of a thief; a soul that was not only corroded and tainted by the darkness of the demon, but also by the trials of his own life. He wondered for a brief moment about it, but it was not his place to inquire the lives of those he was not hunting, so the Ghost Rider looked to the demon.

He had been hunting this one for a few months now. The bastard was so hard to find because it could blend itself and its shadows with the desert, so it was virtually impossible to find. And it was smart, too. It took its victims in different areas of the desert and at different times. The Rider knew that it had to make a mistake sometime, though.

He hated that it almost cost a good man his soul.

Thankfully, he got there in time and now it was time to send the demon back to Hell. Grabbing his chain from where it was sashed over his shoulder, the spectral bounty hunter covered it in Hell flames, feeling the dormant life in his weapon flare up and connect with him.

_“You will not win, Devil’s Pawn!”_ The creature howled. A thick, black tendril of shadow curled around it, before charging the Ghost Rider.

“Blaze!” Logan shouted, worried for his ally.

But his worry gave way to relief and a wrathful joy as the Rider’s Hellfire Chain lacerated the shadow. The shadow, made of the demon’s victims’ souls, crumbled like rock where the chain touched it, and the souls would turn from tentacles of darkness to balls of light that would shoot upwards towards the clouds. The demon hissed at the orbs, watching them ascend to Heaven.

That proved to be its final, fatal mistake.

While it was distracted, the Ghost Rider rushed it, him and the demon mere inches apart in seconds. Grabbing its jacket, he lifted the creature to eye level, capturing it in a Penance Stare.

**“Look into my eyes.”**

Screeching pained horror, the demon squirmed in a futile attempt to escape its fate.

**“Your soul is stained by the blood of the innocent.”**

_“Please!”_

**“Feel.”**

_“Please! Spare me!!”_

**“Their.”**

_“I beg you! NO!!!”_

**“Pain.”**

_“MASTER!!! HELP ME!!”_ Those were the last words of the demon as all of its victims’ pain flooded it, the last and most excruciating being its master. And deep within it, it could feel its master ripping himself from it, tearing a hole through its almost non-corporeal form.

Unlike the other souls, this orb was a black ball with a red glow-like the glow of the demon circle-and instead of shooting upwards, it was sucked down to the ground, like a dust ball getting sucked into a vacuum cleaner.

The demon itself deteriorated into oblivion; like the sand of the desert, the remains of the demon blew away in the wind.

His job done, the Rider let himself change back to his human half, content to be submissive now that the hunt was over. Johnny Blaze shook his head, happy to be out of the Rider’s subconscious. Turning to where Logan was holding Remy, he let a small smile creep over his face.

He first met the feral when he was chasing down a Fallen Angel a few years ago in the Appalachian Mountains. At the time, Logan was chasing after his past and the two happened to find the same angel. After the fight, the two became averse allies and wary friends.

Johnny was happy to help anyone in need, though, and also getting the bad guy was killing two birds with one stone.

‘ _Probably_ _not the best metaphor. Maybe…_ ’ Lost in thought, he didn’t hear Logan saying his name until a loud “BLAZE!” made him jump.

“What?” He walked to the men, looking at the unconscious one with the red hair. He was a looker, Johnny had to admit, but… He gave Logan a look that said ‘ _I didn’t know you swung_ that _way._ ’           

The feral snorted, “Ain’t like that, Blaze. This one is special.”

Johnny saw the look in his friend’s eyes and sighed. It was the same look he gave Roxanne before he took off on his crazy redemption mission. ‘ _Love makes a man do all sorts of inane things._ ’ He thought ruefully, knowing what he had to do.

 Concentrating hard, he summoned the power of the Angel of Justice and a blue-gold flame ignited in his hand. He started to reach for the red-head, when Logan jerked him away from the flame, protectively wrapping his arms around him and growled a warning to the ex-stuntman. He looked at the heavenly fire, cautiously leaning in close to sniff it. Johnny had to stifle a laugh at his feral friend’s ‘inspection’, but the mutant grunted and loosened his hold on the red-head, holding him out a little to Johnny. Smiling reassuringly, Blaze put his hand on the red-head’s forehead and started to heal what he could of the man’s soul.

It wasn’t easy.

Not by a long shot.

~~/*\~~

_Remy was cold. He was so_ cold. _Like he was back in…_

_Remy’s eyes snapped open and he sat up back-breakingly straight. All around him was ice and snow and white._

_He let loose a mournful cry, pulling his legs close to his chest and wrapping his arms around his knees. Laying his head on his knees, he began rocking back and forth._

_“They left me! They left me again!” He sobbed._

_Hissing laughter was howling all around him, along with the frigid wind. Snapping his head up, his red on black eyes widened in horror._

_The demon, the same black, smoke like silhouette he first saw, was staring at him with its hellfire heated coal eyes, an impossibly stretched smirk a startling white on its otherwise dark body._

_Remy knew it wasn’t the demon; only the taint it left behind on his soul, but what scared him was that it had merged with the darkness in his soul. It now had all of the boy’s deepest fears, insecurities, and doubts with it, and Remy could do nothing but let himself die with his dark side tormenting him with all the bad things and wrongs he had done in life. The demon reached out to him, like a shadow spreading over the land after the sun had gone down. Remy backed away from it, kicking up snow and ice in his haste. The shadow was getting closer, and closer._

_But just as he felt the shadow grab him, he heard a voice calling his name. Everything stopped, like someone had pressed pause on a movie._

“Remy! Remy!” _The voice called_

_He felt like he should know that voice. He just couldn’t place it, though._

“Remy! C’mon, Remy! Wake up!”

_The shadow was retreating, and the demon was looking around wildly. Its hissing laughter was a high-pitched growl, and its eyes were not as bright as before._

“Remy, please wake up. C’mon, Cajun.”

_Cajun? Remy stood up, his eyes to the dull, gray, cloudy sky. There was only one person that called him Cajun._

“Remy. Please. Don’t go.” _His-_ His _-voice was so full of sorrow, and pleading. Remy knew who it was now._

_Suddenly, the demon grew; its body started to inflate, like a balloon animal for a parade. The reason was that Remy’s negative emotions about his feelings towards_ him _hit him hard._

_Remy was nothing but trouble. He was a murderer, a traitor, a whore and any number of bad things. He would bring_ him _nothing but misfortune._ He _didn’t even like him like that! It would be like every other relationship he had. Nothing but heartache and fights and screamed insults and…and…_

_The demon, now a giant, reached for him again, except this time it was with a large, smoke-black hand._

“Remy LeBeau, I swear ta GOD if you don’t wake up right now-!” He _stopped_ his _threat and then_ _sighed. Remy could hear it, and feel it: the sigh complete and utter defeat. Remy knew that well._

“Remy, kid, ya gotta wake. For me. I shoulda told ya earlier, but I was scared. I was pissing myself thinkin’ ya would reject me. And I was a damn fool for not jus’ tellin’ ya. I was selfish and a coward. So I’m gonna say it now and I’ll just pray that you can hear me.”

_Remy could hear_ him _, and the entire time_ he _was talking, a break in the clouds appeared. The demon roared in agony as the light hit it. Remy could feel the rays of light on him, and for the first time since Antarctica, he felt warm._

“Remy…Please. I need you.”

_A blue-gold light burst forth from the demon, destroying it from the inside out. A final roar and then smoke shot towards the break in the sky. The demon was exorcised from him and the warm light from the sky blinded him for a moment. Then, he woke up._

~~/*\~~

“Remy…I need you.” Logan nearly sobbed out. His whole speech, he could hear Remy’s heartbeat get weaker and weaker, even with Johnny’s healing flame burning on the kid’s head.

If Remy dies, right here-right now, Logan didn’t think that he could take this death of a loved one. Unrequited love was the worst type of love, in his mind, and if Remy died without knowing how true and deep Logan’s love went for him, the feral couldn’t- _wouldn’t_ -survive it.

The blue fire on Remy’s head went out suddenly. Logan looked at Johnny with a sad hopefulness in his eyes. But the bounty hunter swiftly looked away, a shadow across his face, hiding his expression.

Logan stilled for a moment. Then clutching the Cajun tight in his arms, he howled at the moon with all the sadness and anger poisoning his blood. The Wolverine mourned with him, the same howl of loss piercing the sky.

Johnny looked away from his ally, hiding his face in darkness. He just couldn’t hold back the grin on his face.

Logan heard a groan through the blood rushing in his ears and his own wail of defeat. He quickly looked at Johnny, but his back was towards him. Then, he just so happen to gaze down and sharply inhaled.

“Ugh…damnit. Ah, my ‘ead! ‘Ow mush did I ‘ave t’ drink las’ night?” Remy moaned. That was the only plausible explanation for the way he felt. His head was pounding, his body was on fire, his words were slurring _so bad_ ; the only thing missing was the burn of sex either on his groin or in his ass.

“R-Remy?” Remy glanced up at the deep, raspy voice, and his eyebrows furrowed.

“Logan? W’at de ‘ell is goin’ on here-!” The lanky Cajun was abruptly crushed into a firm, well-defined chest and he squeaked at the action. Everything went still as Remy let Logan hug him to death. The young mutant tried to think about what would’ve caused such an extreme, emotional act from the burly man until everything that happened the past Twenty-Four hours hit him like a freight train. He tensed up as the memories churned in his mind and just how close he came to meeting Death again. Sighing, Remy returned Logan’s hug, burying his neck in the older man’s neck. His arms wound tight around the other’s back and his hands gripped the other’s shirt in a vice like hold.

Johnny watched the display for a few minutes before walking off to get the bikes and to give the almost-couple a little space and privacy. He smiled for them and for his own lover back home.

Slowly, Logan let go of Remy, his steel-blue eyes shiny, but he refused to let them fall. He needed to be in total control if he wanted to confess to the thief. Bracing himself, he opened his mouth only for no sound to come out as Remy pulled away from him.

The kid’s hair tie had slightly come undone from the tight knot that the kid had put it in, and now some hair was loose and framing around his face and shoulders. His eyes, his beautiful, exotic red on black eyes were filled with tears that were falling down his bruised, grimy ragged face. But what got Logan was that despite how tired and beaten Remy looked, there was a soft smile cutting across the dirt and blood and there was a certain look in his eyes along with the tears that held so many emotions and feelings.

Joy, confidence, faith, trust; all for him.

And Logan couldn’t help his next move.

Cupping a dirty cheek in his hand, Logan returned Remy’s smile before gently placing his lips on the other’s soft ones, vaguely hearing the sharp intake of air.  After a few seconds, Logan pulled back to look at Remy’s stunned face and waited for the kid’s response, sending prayer after prayer to the Pantheon that was being mercifully kind to him today that he wasn’t rejected.

To say Remy was shocked would be an understatement. Logan-The Wolverine, the apex predator, butch badass number one-was kissing him. _Kissing_ him. HIM! Remy LeBeau, the most promiscuous, lying, thieving, slutty whore there ever was!

Logan leaned back to let the kid breath. He watched as Remy, with wide eyes, touched his lips, swallowing hard. The feral waited for the cries of outrage and disgust, or the awkward silence before a gentle but clear refusal of his feelings.

But Remy simply said one thing and that one thing very nearly broke his heart. A soft whispered word, so full of self-loathing and hatred, it was unbearable.

“Why?” Remy was waiting for the punchline, waiting for Logan to say ‘Surprise!’ and tell him it was a joke.

However, the older mutant smiled and said, “Kid, I ain’t good with things like this. I can’t use purty words ta tell you how I feel. I’m better with my actions than my words.” He winked at the stunned man, who blushed a nice pink in return. “But I can say this. I like you…a lot. And I’m sorry, but I just can’t bring myself ta say the other ‘L’ word. Not just yet. I’ve had my heart ripped ta shreds too many times to use it just yet. I do know that I like you and I wanna be with you. Ya know…if yer willin’ ta have me.” He added softly.

There was a deafening silence between them. It hung heavy in the air as Remy’s mind reeled with the fact that Logan had romantic feelings for him. He didn’t even know if he liked the other man like _that_. It made his head hurt.

‘ _Qui, but what about your heart, LeBeau?_ ’ That voice again. The one who told him the consequences of not telling Logan about the demon in the first place. ‘ _You know that if not for him, you’d be dead, either taking yourself out at the mansion, or here, where you could’ve been fodder for the end of the world._ ’ Like THAT’S never happened before, Remy thought dryly. ‘ _You can’t let him go. If you do, you’ll be letting go of the only one who won’t betray you, who won’t stab you in the back. He’ll always stand by your side, and pick you back up when you fall. Do not let him go. Your heart won’t survive it._ ’

The voice was right, Remy realized. Letting go of Logan would be letting go of life. Logan was the only one who made him feel important, cared for, worth something. Logan was the only one who made him feel _loved_. And he was _never_ going to let that go.

Remy had been quiet for a while, and it made Logan nervous. He was certain now that he would be rejected, and it made him feel like a damn fool now. But just as he was about to say something, Remy, shyly, softly, pressed their lips together. The other man responded immediately, wrapping his arms around the younger man and kissing him back with fervor.

The kiss was going from shy and hesitant to hard and messy fast and neither of them cared. They’ve had their desires reined in for too long and now that they had found someone to spend the rest of their lives with, neither one of them were going to hold back any longer.

That is until Blaze cleared his throat.

Both men jumped back away from each other, like two high-school kids getting caught by their parents. They completed the image more by Remy looking down with a deep red blush and Logan glancing to the side while scratching the back of his neck. It made Johnny laugh.

“Alright you two love-birds,” He said. “Time for us to leave this place. I’ve already got all your stuff on your bikes.” With that he turned and walked away.

Remy, still embarrassed beyond belief, stood up wordlessly and followed Blaze. But suddenly, an arm snuck around his waist and pulled him flush against a warm, hard body.

Logan bent down and whispered hotly in his ear, “What say you and I go to Vegas and take a break for a little while?” That simple sentence alone had Remy shivering, and it wasn’t from the cold desert night.

The feral barked a laugh and pinched Remy’s bum, which earned him a squeak and a hard punch in the arm.

“ _Mon Dieu_ , what ‘as dis po’ ol’ Cajun boy done and gotten his self into!?” He bemoaned his fate while Logan was busting a kidney laughing beside him.

Johnny stared at them and shook his head. He got on his bike as the two did the same and fired it up, grinning as he listened to old Grace purr. Logan pulled up next to him and held out his hand.

“Thanks, Blaze. If you hadn’t of showed up, me and Rims woulda been ‘end of the world’ fodder.” Remy’s brows furrowed as he tried to think where he’s heard that before. “We owe you a lot, bud.” The two men shook hands and then all three of them were on their ways, Logan and Remy heading to Vegas and Blaze going home to Texas for a while.

~~/*\~~

After the three men had left, a massive dust storm kicked up and washed over a forgotten part of the Nevadan Desert. When the locals came out of their houses to inspect any damage, they were surprised that there was none.

After that, they went to the cursed town and were shocked. Most made the sign of the cross on their chests and prayed to God, while others believed it was the work of aliens or the government.

For the town of Avarice was gone, the sins and horrors of a once good place blown away by the dust storm. All the demons were exorcised and as a final blessing, the town was purified by the new sands of the desert. No longer was the dunes tainted by a cursed moon and evil night.

That part of the desert had rid itself of its ghosts and it was forever in debt to the three men who had freed it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just boom-boom-boom. One right after the other! This is kinda my way of saying sorry for not updating for two days. So there you go!


	6. Coming Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle is won and the heroes go home. Waiting for them at the mansion is some surprises and explanations and celebrations. However, evil has a way of clinging on and as the rest party, one goes on the war path to destroy them all-particularly Remy.

Remy was standing in front of the mansion, mentally preparing himself for what was coming. He swallowed hard and inhaled deeply.

“Hey.” Logan’s baritone whispered near his ear. “Ya gonna be okay, darlin’?” He could see how nervous Remy was to be ‘home’ again, and with their new connection, Logan knew that if anyone tried to start shit with his ‘mate’, he didn’t care who it was; they were getting ripped to shreds.

After being saved by the Ghost Rider, they went on a two week long vacation in Vegas. They spent the entire time joined at the hip, and figured out they had much in common and Remy was surprised to learn that Logan knew a few people in the BDSM scene. While they both shivered in lust at what they could do, both men mutually agreed to take things slow. They had satisfied themselves with long, heated kisses and cuddling in bed.

But now, they were back home, and Remy was uneasy. Soon, the entire mansion-student and X-Men alike-would know that the shamed thief and the He-Man feral were in a relationship of _that_ nature.

“C’mon, Rems.” Logan said, and he placed his hand on Remy’s lower back for comfort. And that little gesture gave Remy all the confidence in the world.

Looking up at his lover, Remy grinned. It said ‘I know I can do this’ and he straightened up and sauntered up to the doors, he empathetic link with Logan sharing everything. Unshakable confidence and fierce determination bounced back and forth between them, along with the strong feelings of love and care. When they reached the door, they exchanged a quick kiss and grabbing each ornate doorknob pushed the doors opened.

“REMY!” Voices screamed, and Jubilee and Kurt rushed towards the stunned man. Before anything could happen, the two younger mutants bowled over Remy, knocking down Logan in the process. The pile squirmed as the kids stuck themselves onto Remy, talking over and shoving each other as they tried to get the thief’s attention.

The Wolverine flared up at first, thinking there was an attack on its ‘mate, but when it saw it was just the ‘pups’, it and Logan calmed down. Untangling himself, Logan rolled a few inches away, far enough not to get caught, but still close enough to separate everyone if something should happen.

“Hello Logan.” A femininely smooth voice said, and Logan turned up to see Laura standing over him, a soft smile on her face. Kitty was standing next to her, grinning widely and giggling at the chaos next to him.

Logan returned Laura’s smile and stood up to hug his adopted daughters. “Hey girls. How are things?” He asked.

Laura opened her mouth to answer, but Kitty beat her to it. “Everything is, like, great! Better than great actually! Everyone was, like, SO worried for you two! Me and Kurt rushed home, coz we were in Germany, and then, like, Lori and Jubs came rushing back from wherever they were and, like, then J.P and Piotr came back from their honeymoon and everyone who wasn’t, like, here for a while were SO pissed at Scott, Jean, Bobby, Rogue, and Warren! Like, seri, why did they have to be such dicks!? Anyway, the Prof came back and he, like, totes got on to them and then a really hot guy came by and, like, asked if you guys were here! The Prof wanted a meeting with him and the other five, and that’s were they’ve been, like, since!”

No one said a word and everyone looked at her. Even Remy, Kurt and Jubilee stopped completely.

She suddenly grew shy and self-consciously squeaked, “Why is everyone, like, looking at me? Did I, like, grow a second head or a third eye or something?”        

Using this chance to get up, Remy walked over to the teen. “ _Non, mon ami._ ” He hugged her and gave her a quick peck on the head. “Y’ hadn’ taken a breath o’ air durin’ dat lil’ speech, y’ was talkin’ so fast. _Merde_ , I hadn’ seen someone talk so fast since I was a pup working at an auction house down in N’Awlins.” He narrowed his eyes and asked playfully, “Y’ sure y’ in de right business, _mon chatte_?”

Everyone laughed while Kitty huffed, lightly punching Remy on the arm. But, eventually, she was laughing with the rest of them.

“Oh, and what is this?” Storm asked, her majestically melodious voice cutting through the riotous laughter.

“Why, my dear Goddess, it would appear as though our local feral and thief have returned from their adventure.” Hank chuckled softly.

The two were coming down the stairs, side by side, and they were rather close, Remy noted. He tucked that bit of information in the back of his mind. He held out his arms and Storm glided over to him, wrapping her arms around her brother.

“I have missed you so, Remy.” She whispered in his ear. She pulled back a little to look at his face. Worry creased her brow and it ill-suited her, Remy thought. “Are you okay? You are not harmed, are you?” She questioned.

Remy smiled and shook his head. “ _Non, mon soeur._ Not’ing too bad. Dis Cajun ‘as been much worse, _crois-moi_.”

Relieved, Storm placed a kiss on his forehead and turned her attention to Logan and Beast, who shared a handshake and Hank asked the same basic questions as Storm. Remy noticed the way Ororo was fixed on the blue gentle giant and took a chance with his empathy. Strong feelings for Hank, like those he had for Logan, were coming off the dark-skinned Goddess in waves. His eyes widened, then his face turned into a mask of mischief.

“So,” He began casually. The tone made Storm suspicious, and she looked at him warily.

“Yes?” She drawled out.

“Did anything happen when Logan and I were out?” His accent was thin, and that was never a good thing. “In de sense of, y’know, _amour_?” He was subtly being _not_ subtle, and with the following of that sentence, he inclined his head forward and wiggled his eyebrows.

Storm huffed and being very childish, shoved him, crossing her arms and looking away from Remy. But the blush on her face spoke a great deal and Remy chuckled.

“It would seem as t’ough de Beauty has found her Beast, _non?”_ He nearly giggled.

Storm turned her head back to him and stared hard at him. Then, with a sly grin said, “Yes, but it would appear that we both have the same taste in men. Am I not wrong, brother?”

It was Remy’s turn to blush and with a shy smile, he nodded his head.  “ _Qui_.”

~~/*\~~

The kids-Laura, Jubilee, Kurt and Kitty-and the adults-Logan, Remy, Hank and Ororo-moved from the main hall to the living room, where they all told stories about recent adventures, laughed and teased about silly mistakes, and Remy was so undeniably _happy_. He felt as though he was a part of a family again, and when he looked out of the corner of his eye, he could see Logan looking at him, a bright smile just for Remy. The swirl of emotions in those steel blue depths-a powerful concoction of a tender want and an illimitable need for the other man-that Remy could say, with zero doubt, was love. He projected the feelings right back, and Logan’s smile grew wider.

“And zat is not even ze worst thing zat happened!” Kurt’s cry of despair drew Remy’s attention away from Logan to the story of when Kurt was in Japan for a school trip.

“Ze worst part is when someone tried to push me into ze water, and instead of falling in, I accidently ‘ported to ze girls’ side of ze hot spring!”

Everyone roared with laughter; Logan held his side while Remy leaned on him for support, tears from laughing so hard running down his cherry red face.

“Dat is okay, _mon bleu_.” Remy said once he was able to catch his breath. “Y’ should ‘ear ‘bout de one time that Remy-”         

_~Wolverine and Gambit to the War Room. Now.~_

The inter-com interrupted Remy. Everyone looked to the two called for men. It was Professor Xavier’s voice that had been on the inter-com, and both Logan and Remy knew they had better go.

Standing up stiffly, the two men made their way to the stairs. Remy looked behind him and saw that Kurt, Kitty, and Jubilee were giving him the thumbs up and Storm, Hank, and Laura projected strong feelings of hope and resolve. It made him feel better. With a steadfast will and Logan at his side, Remy felt that no matter what the odds, or the outcome of this meeting, he could survive and live with a bright look on life once again.

~~/*\~~

Logan tapped on the War Room door. ‘ _We can do this, Rems. We can do this._ ’

The door opened and Logan went in first, at the ready to shield Remy from anything that may come. But what-more like WHO-he saw shocked him.

Charles was sitting at the front of the table, elbows on the table, hands folded, and his chin resting on his hands.

On his right were Scott, Jean, Bobby and Rogue, their heads hung low and not even acknowledging Logan and Remy was there.

At the back of the room, in the far right corner, was Warren, whose face was twisted in an unpleasant sneer.

But it was the person at the end of the table-closest to the door-that shocked Logan the most.

“B-BLAZE!?” Him and Remy cried out, taken aback by the man’s presence.

“Hey!” Johnny said. “How’re ya two doin’?”

“But-but-but…!?” Remy was stuttered.

“Why are you here, Johnny?” Logan asked breathlessly, the disbelief in his making it so.

“He is here with some rather interesting information.” Charles said, his eyes locked on Logan and Remy. “It is very good to see you both.”

“Uh, you too, Chuck.”

“’Allo, Professor.”

Xavier sighed at the lukewarm greetings, but it was with a smile. “I have heard about your recent troubles. I am sorry, Remy, for not being there when you returned to us.”

Remy was hesitant in his response, but he carefully said, “ _Non_ , it is okay.”

“No. It is not.” Charles said, grief and frustration clear in his tone. 

“You may sit, if you want.” He motioned towards his left, and the two sat down, Logan next to the Professor and Remy next to Logan.

“Now,” Charles began. “As you know, I was gone for a while on business. Before I had departed, I had sent Scott, Jean, Warren, Bobby, and Rogue on a mission to investigate a possible hostile mutant in a remote part of the country. Many people were disappearing in a deserted mining town, and the town a few miles away were known to have a relatively high mutant population.

While still away, I had gotten a call from Dr. McCoy that the five had come back, empty-handed, and the Mr. LeBeau had been found. Both news had filled me with happiness, but I was regretfully unable to come back to greet Remy with the open arms that he needed and most sincere apologies for all I had  allowed to happen.”

“Oh, Professor Xavier, y’ don’-” Remy started, but Charles raised his hand to silence him.

“Yes I do. I have been ridden with guilt and now I would like to apologize in full. What happened should have never taken place, and I deeply regret not being there for one of my own.

I digress. After my business was finished, I had returned home, intent on finding Remy. But what I had found instead was a very dark, very negative aura. It was coming the strongest from the team I had sent off before I had left.

I was unable to figure out why these individuals had such strong negativity around them. Until Mr. Blaze came by the mansion, looking for Logan and Remy.” He nodded to Johnny. “Mr. Blaze told me about the nightmare you went through. I pieced together the puzzle and now, this is where we are now.”

Logan and Remy looked at Xavier, dumbfounded.

“Um…what pieces and what puzzle?” Logan asked, not sure if he knew where this was going, but knowing he wouldn’t like it.

Charles gave Blaze a pointed look.

Johnny sighed. “Do you know why the demon singled out Remy? Because…well, think about it.

You both have some serious emotional baggage with you. And you both have suffered pretty badly in the past. The demon didn’t see people; it only saw their negative emotions and it picked out the ones with the most. For all it cared, it could’ve attacked Logan! But it went specifically after Remy.”

Logan thought back to that terrible time and realized what Blaze was saying was true.

“But how did it know to target me?” Remy asked, slipping his hand into Logan’s under the table. Logan gave him a reassuring squeeze.

“Because these five-” Blaze pointed to Scott, Jean, Bobby, Rogue, and Warren-“we’re sent to Avarice and it must’ve picked up on their thoughts and feelings.”

“And at the time, the Trial was only a few months past.” Charles added. “And they were still angry with you, Remy, and the demon must have seen you in their thoughts and emotions.”

“So it latched a piece of itself on to each one of them, and when they came home and saw you, its darkness amplified their negativity and caused big problems. Like the necklace incident.”

“When this was brought to light, Mr. Blaze and I worked together to banished the echoes that the demon had left behind, even after its destruction. We finally succeeded, but after a long, hard battle.”

Silence. Logan and Remy were stunned beyond anything to learn this. No one moved. Everything settled in and Remy was having a near mental battle with his feelings about all this.

Everyone nearly jumped when Rogue stood up so fast and so hard, it knocked the chair over. Without a word, she marched over to Remy and forced him out of his seat. Remy was too bewildered to do anything as Rogue gripped his shirt collar like an iron vice.

Logan jumped up and tensed as he waited for Rogue to make her next move, not caring if he had to physically attack the woman if she tried to harm Remy.

But no one had expected the loud, choked sob and Rogue burying her face in Remy’s chest, careful not to touch him.

“Ah-Ah am so sor-sorry!” She wept. “All those things Ah said! All those terrible, awful things Ah did! Ah neva meant any of it, Remy! Ah was hurt, and angry, but Ah neva truly hated ya! Ah will neva forgive myself!”

She sobbed and wept and Remy could feel the wetness through his shirt, but he didn’t care. Rogue was going to cry herself into a fit, all because of something she couldn’t control. Remy may be a spiteful ex from time to time, but he had loved Rogue and would continue to love her for as long as he lived.

So he did the right thing.

“Aw, _mon cherie_. Do not cry. I forgive you.” Remy hugged her back and comforted her until she was sniffling, not full out sobbing. He held her back a little by her shoulders and looked her in the eye.

“I knew dat we were a ticking time bomb. _Mais_ I did not care. I was in love with you, and dat meant I came second. So I did everything I could to please and protect. I still love you, Rogue, _mais_ I am not in love with you.”

Rogue knew what he meant and while it hurt to be told that, she knew it was for the best. She felt Bobby’s hand on her shoulder and leaned back into him.

Remy could see that Rogue had found her true _amour_ , just as he found his.

“I think Rogue’s apologize speaks for everyone, but I would personally like to say I’m sorry.” Scott said. He stood in front of Remy and offered his hand. “You’re an X-Man, Remy, and not even a demon should make me forget that. I feel like failure, not only to you but as a leader.”

The fact that Scott was questioning his role as leader spoke a great deal to Remy.

“I failed too.” Jean hugged Remy and when she pulled back, he could see the wetness in her eyes. “I’m the one who should have sensed the demon’s presence. I should have realized that something was wrong with me.” She snorted in disgust. “Some co-leader and telepath I am.”

The thief couldn’t even begin to describe how touched he was by the overwhelming remorse and grief he felt coming from his former tormentors. He was damn near to tears himself and swallowed a sob.

“Dere is a lot dat I have done in de past. Unforgivable stuff. So…” He looked at the two couples and with a smile, said, “So I want to say Thank You for forgiving me. And because you forgive me…I will not blame you for dese past few weeks. You did nothing wrong of your own accord.”

Logan swelled with pride at his boy’s speech; the kid really did have a heart of gold.

There were more tears and apologies after that but Logan noticed that Warren still had a scornful look on his face. He said nothing to Remy; obviously not regretful for the way he treated the Cajun.

After the last tear had been shed and the last sorry was said, the room filed out and went down to the dining room, with Warren back away from the group.

Logan tried to get Johnny to stay for dinner, at least, but the bounty hunter wanted to get a head start for Texas.

“No offense, but I got someone waiting for me and to be honest, I’d like to go home and relax for a while.” He said.

Logan knew what that felt like, so he asked one last question.

“How’d ya figure it all out?”

Blaze was silent for a moment. He said, after a long pause, “I was just past the Texan state line when I noticed I had a spirit tailing me. I realized it was one of the ones that had been freed from the demon. I thought that it was strange that it would be following me after the demon had been destroyed, since it should’ve gone to Heaven.

So I stopped, it told me everything, and I used the Ghost Rider to get here. I asked for you and your boyfriend and I got the Professor instead. We-me doing most of the supernatural work and the Prof doing his telepath thing-exorcised them and that’s it.”

Logan nodded his head in understanding, but frowned when Blaze used the word ‘boyfriend’.

“Don’t ever say me and Rems are ‘boyfriends’ again if ya wanna keep yer fingers, Blaze. We ain’t thirteen and we ain’t fruity enough to use the word, anyway.”

Johnny gave him a look.

“Well, I ain’t in any case.”

The bounty hunter hummed in amusement before waving goodbye. Logan watched him get on his bike, rev up the engine, and ride out the mansion gates. He closed the doors and headed to the dining room where everyone was taking their places at the huge table.

Before anyone else could, Logan snatched the seat at Remy’s left, who grinned at him. Rogue was sitting on the thief’s right and Jubilee was sitting directly across from him, scowling at Rogue. She probably nabbed the seat from the fireworks mutant. He thought he should feel like Rogue was trying to ‘warm up’ to Remy, but as he watched her and Bobby interact, he knew he had nothing to worry about; Rogue was head over heels with Bobby, and over with Remy for good.

They had a feast, with all sorts of meat for the animal inside Logan, and some well replicated Cajun food for Remy. Everyone joked and laughed and Remy felt like he would rather be nowhere else on Earth.

After dinner, with Logan patting the bulge his belly had become, the Canadian declared with a burp that he couldn’t eat another bite. To which Remy teased, “ _Qui_ , Remy’s not surprised y’ ‘bout to bust outta y’ belt, _cher_. Some po’ fool even looked at y’ food, y’ turn feral on de _homme_ and eat ‘im too!”

The whole table cracked up, howling with laughter. Even the Professor laughed, though not as loudly as the others. Logan huffed, and cuffed Remy upside the head. That invoked a ‘war’ of hard pokes and playful slaps, making everyone laugh more.

“Oh, guys.” Jean giggled. “You two better behave or else I’m not giving you the dessert I made.”

At the mentioned of dessert, both men stopped immediately. Still giggling, Jean got up to serve out the pies and ice cream she made from scratch, with Storm and Rogue helping her. Of course, Logan wolfed down three servings, despite saying he couldn’t eat more just a few minutes before.

They moved to the living room once dessert was done with. Logan sat by Remy and chatted with Piotr about the married life.

“It is wonderful, my friend.” He said blissfully, looking over to where Jean-Paul was talking with Jean and gazed at his husband lovingly. “I have never been more happy in my life, and I thank God everyday for this gift I have been given.”

Logan knew exactly how the newlywed Russian felt, and turned his head to Remy. The young man was talking with Kurt and he seemed so much brighter and happier than he had been after the Trial. It made Logan take a step back and be amazed that such a beautiful, incredible person wanted to be with him. He wasn’t ever going to let Remy go, not over his cold dead body.

Suddenly, Jubilee stood up, making everyone’s attention go to her.

“I have an announcement to make.” She was uncharacteristically nervous and she kept fidgeting. “I…um…well…” She couldn’t speak and Remy looked to Logan, an expression of worry on his face. Logan just shrugged, not knowing what to do.

“Y’see…m-me and Lori…we…uh…”

“Me and Jubilee have been fucking each other stupid since last July, and when we went to Tibet on a mission, we adopted a little Japanese kid whose parents died while vacationing there.” Laura said, face completely blank and voice deadpan. She took a sip of her drink. “His name is Shogo Kinney Lee. He’s staying at Jubs’ parents’ house until we could tell you.”

There was a stunned quiet as everyone-namely Logan and Remy-digested this information.

Slowly, a wide smile split Remy’s face and he jumped up and pulled Jubilee in a tight hug, with the rest of the X-Men yelling their blessings and congratulations.

Logan caught Laura’s eye in all the fuss as Kitty, Kurt, Jean, Rogue, and Jean-Paul rushed to swarm Jubilee. Over their excited chatter, the burly man simply lifted his bottle in beer and winked at Laura, a _feral_ smile showcasing his pearly white and deadly sharp teeth.

His ‘daughter’ repaid the gesture in kind, reminding him that the young woman was more like her father clone than most people would think.

Kurt, above all the noise, shouted, “We need some wine! It’s time to par-tay!” There was cheers in agreement, and Kurt ported once and ‘bamf’d back a minute later with a dozen bottles of wine.

Logan chuckled as the wine flowed like a river and he shook his head. ‘ _Oh yeah._ ’ He thought. _‘It’s good to be home._ ’ Remy, sweet beautiful Remy, was twirling around with Laura, both laughing and with the bond he shared with the other man, Logan could feel the happiness pour off the other man in waves. He smiled.

‘ _It’s_ real _good to be home._ ’

~~/*\~~

As the ‘party’ got underway, one person stood away from the rest, his normally sky blue eyes glazed over with a red fog of anger.

It was disgusting, what his ‘teammates’ were doing! Celebrating two women on laying together, and stealing a child from an orphanage that would raise the boy right.

Instead of learning what was right and wrong, the poor baby would grow up confused, seeing his ‘mothers’ and being taught that its okay to be… _that_ way.

And how could they!? Gambit was a traitorous piece of shit and now they had _forgiven_ him!? All because a bounty hunter- _The Devil’s_ bounty hunter, no less!-said that they were possessed by a demon. That was a lie if Warren ever heard of one.   

Not being able to stand it any longer, Warren stomped out of the mansion. He felt sickened that such… _crimes_ against everything he was taught as an X-Man were being shattered in front of his eyes.

‘ _Well, I’m going to fix that._ ’ He leaped into the air, his wings snapping out to their full length. As he flew into the night, he thought of all the people that could make Gambit, the source of all his troubles and woes, suffer for his sins. He wanted LeBeau beaten, mind, body, and soul, until he begged for Death herself.

“And I know just the person who could do that.”

While flying, Warren never did notice the black smoke that clung to him. Nor did he notice the sneering, demonic face it made as the winged mutant flew to a _sinister_ location.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finished! I hope this is as well received if not more so than on FF.Net. I'll issue the same challenge as I did on there; if I can get fifty comments (or kudos, coz AO3 has an advantage) I'll write a smut chapter, just for here! If I get it on FF.Net before than, then it'll be just for here. Hurry up coz they have a 39 point head start! (Though since that's been the same for a while now, you guys go this).
> 
> This has been Ghost of the Desert, brought to you by LemonWicky.
> 
> Until We Meet Again. LemonWicky.

**Author's Note:**

> ~~Author's Note~~  
> I had posted this on FF.Net, where it is completed, and since it was so well received, I thought I might try to post it on here. Note that this is my very first multi-chaptered fanfiction and so it would be gratefully kind to give me honest opinions and what I can improve on.


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